5 ms·
In Denmark, where I happen to live, I've had two companies funded largely from a businessplan. The venture and startup ecosystem isn't as developed here, and fr
by mixmax 15y ago
In Denmark, where I happen to live, I've had two companies funded largely from a businessplan. The venture and startup ecosystem isn't as developed here, and frankly I don't think you'd get anyhwere without a businessplan and a powerpoint deck.
Businessplans are great for getting funding from people who don't really understand your business, are government employees, banks, or are looking for the safety of knowing you are an expert in your field. They're also great for making an appearance and looking "professional". For instance when I hand out businessplans they're always pesonalised (every page will be annotated with "private and confidential - this businessplan belongs to Joe Schmuck). People fall for this.
It's basically a great sales document for people that don't know much about startups. If you live in an area where nobody knows what the heck you're talking about when you mention retention rates, A/B split tests, etc. these are the tricks you'll need to get funding.
I've always included "we will produce (product) to enhance shareholder value" in all the businessplans I've written just to see if anyone would catch the Neal Stehpenson reference. Nobody has yet.
- dotcoma 15y agoMore about the Neal Stephenson reference, please. Sounds like great fun :)
- mixmax 15y agoIt's from Cryptonomicon - a thousand pages about wargold, allied codes, enigma, cryptanalysis, startups, datahavens and money perfectly weaved together as only Neal Stephenson can. One of the main stories in the book is about Avi and Randy that are trying to get a datahaven startup off the ground, and Avi, the sly businessman, is constantly on about enhancing shareholder value. There's an excellent and humorous description of writing businessplans where it's all about "doing X to enhance shareholder value." This is also where the term "fuck you money" comes from. Fuck you money is the amount that will allow you to economically say fuck you to anyone for the rest of your life. Basically total financial freedom. Avi, again the businessman, keeps an updated excel spreadsheet that calculates exactly how much money fuck you money is at the moment, since it's obviously dependant on exchange rates, stockprices, real estate prices, etc. It's a great read.
- dctoedt 15y ago> This [Cryptonomicon, 1999] is also where the term "fuck you money" comes from. It's also in the 1981 novel Noble House by James Clavell.
- anotherjohn 15y agoAnd i have a mate who was roadie for Muddy Waters (to give some age context) who learned the phrase well before i was born! A canonical reference for the first use would be fascinating.
- anotherjohn 15y agoFWIW, i have another pal who was posted diplomatic to HK in the late 70s and was instructed to read Noble House - it's thinly veiled translations of real characters, some still alive.